Date: 30 July 2006
Time: 1938 hrs
Place: road junction near National Library
(sorf) Waiting at the traffic lights outside Sunshine Plaza headed for the library when a young guy in a dragon print shirt and shorts, with his girlfriend, asked in Chinese where the train station was. Told him Bugis and he asked if it was very far. Said no, just 2 lights down, and on the left.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Queue cutter
Date: 27 Jul 2006
Time: 2157 hrs
Place: IKEA
(both) We're right at the cornermost cashier, waiting to pay for our purchases, when this middle-aged lady wearing printed pants rudely interrupts us from behind and asks if we would mind if she could pay for her scented candles first. The candles weren't very classy and to think that she travelled all the way down to IKEA just to buy these cheesy candles. We said no and she had to go back to the tail of the queue.
Time: 2157 hrs
Place: IKEA
(both) We're right at the cornermost cashier, waiting to pay for our purchases, when this middle-aged lady wearing printed pants rudely interrupts us from behind and asks if we would mind if she could pay for her scented candles first. The candles weren't very classy and to think that she travelled all the way down to IKEA just to buy these cheesy candles. We said no and she had to go back to the tail of the queue.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
mm chee dou...
Date: 25 Jul 2006
Time: 2005 hrs
Plaace: Outside Novena Square
(sorf) A very harried looking bespectacled young woman outside Novena Square asked in Cantonese what road she was on.
Time: 2005 hrs
Plaace: Outside Novena Square
(sorf) A very harried looking bespectacled young woman outside Novena Square asked in Cantonese what road she was on.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Chemists that don't do chemistry
Date: 18 Jul 2006
Time: 1010 hrs
Place: Maxwell Market
I'm at Maxwell Market just having a nice coffee when an Australian lady, wearing a t-shirt with the word "DIOR" splashed over it, comes up to me and asked where the nearest chemist was. I told her to head over to Raffles City to look for the pharmacies there.
Time: 1010 hrs
Place: Maxwell Market
I'm at Maxwell Market just having a nice coffee when an Australian lady, wearing a t-shirt with the word "DIOR" splashed over it, comes up to me and asked where the nearest chemist was. I told her to head over to Raffles City to look for the pharmacies there.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Dove
Date: 16 Jul 2006
Time: 1755 hrs
Place: NTUC Toa Payoh
I'm with my younger brother looking at the foldable table on offer and this man asks me from behind, in Hokkien, whether the Dove shampoo could be used for washing the body or washing the hair ("ji gei xi shui tao meng ah si shui xin gu eh?"). My younger brother told him that it was not for body washing. I think he had some problem with his eyes. He's probably a bachelor, quite dirty looking, carrying an umbrella.
Time: 1755 hrs
Place: NTUC Toa Payoh
I'm with my younger brother looking at the foldable table on offer and this man asks me from behind, in Hokkien, whether the Dove shampoo could be used for washing the body or washing the hair ("ji gei xi shui tao meng ah si shui xin gu eh?"). My younger brother told him that it was not for body washing. I think he had some problem with his eyes. He's probably a bachelor, quite dirty looking, carrying an umbrella.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
It's a taxi queue!
Date: 11 Jul 2006
Time: 2115 hrs
Place: Paragon Shopping Centre
(sorf) Am loaded with groceries and too lazy to walk so I'm waiting for a taxi in the taxi queue. And I got asked by a filipino lady which is the taxi queue!
Time: 2115 hrs
Place: Paragon Shopping Centre
(sorf) Am loaded with groceries and too lazy to walk so I'm waiting for a taxi in the taxi queue. And I got asked by a filipino lady which is the taxi queue!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Hold your peace...
Date: 08 Jul 2006
Time: 1241 hrs
Place: Just outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT near Penang Road
(both) We had just come out of the exit and a lady in jeans skirt and red tank top came up from behind us and asked us, "Excuse me, where is Peace Centre?" I told her to go towards Selegie Road and she was hemming and hawing and asked, "oh it's the other side ah?" and I said yes and then she walked off. I think she wasn't very happy though.
Time: 1241 hrs
Place: Just outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT near Penang Road
(both) We had just come out of the exit and a lady in jeans skirt and red tank top came up from behind us and asked us, "Excuse me, where is Peace Centre?" I told her to go towards Selegie Road and she was hemming and hawing and asked, "oh it's the other side ah?" and I said yes and then she walked off. I think she wasn't very happy though.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Revolving door challenged
Date: 06 Jul 2006
Time: 1425 hrs
Place: The Factory
(sorf) Chubby woman in black blouse and pants at the revolving gate outside our office asked if she could get in. I told her she had to go to the main gate.
Time: 1425 hrs
Place: The Factory
(sorf) Chubby woman in black blouse and pants at the revolving gate outside our office asked if she could get in. I told her she had to go to the main gate.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Woody Allen was right about Chinatown
Date: 05 Jul 2006
Time: 2141 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
(both) We are getting on the train at Dhoby Ghaut when a voice asks us from behind, "Excuse me, does this go to Chinatown?" in some unplaceable European accent. He was a tall, Asian looking guy wearing jeans and blue shirt, with a Caucasian girlfriend wearing a purple skirt. There's a whole lot of people they could have asked and they chose to ask us. From behind. I told them no, they have to take the train from the other side, while sorf had blanked out.
Time: 2141 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
(both) We are getting on the train at Dhoby Ghaut when a voice asks us from behind, "Excuse me, does this go to Chinatown?" in some unplaceable European accent. He was a tall, Asian looking guy wearing jeans and blue shirt, with a Caucasian girlfriend wearing a purple skirt. There's a whole lot of people they could have asked and they chose to ask us. From behind. I told them no, they have to take the train from the other side, while sorf had blanked out.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Myanmar heart Mustafa
Date: 20 Jun 2006
Time: 1922 hrs
Place: near Mustafa
20-something Burmese man, wearing red shirt, bermudas, sandals asked, "Mustafa Plaza, Mustafa Market". He was looking to buy shoes. I walked with him from next to New Park Hotel towards Serangoon and showed him Mustafa Plaza and he walked into the driveway.
Time: 1922 hrs
Place: near Mustafa
20-something Burmese man, wearing red shirt, bermudas, sandals asked, "Mustafa Plaza, Mustafa Market". He was looking to buy shoes. I walked with him from next to New Park Hotel towards Serangoon and showed him Mustafa Plaza and he walked into the driveway.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Walking with a racket
Date: 19 Jun 2006
Time: 1915 hrs
Place: Corner of Rangoon Road and Race Course Road
I'm waiting for a cab when a teenage boy carrying a red bag and tennis racket wanted to know which way to walk to Novena and asked me which direction to walk towards.
Time: 1915 hrs
Place: Corner of Rangoon Road and Race Course Road
I'm waiting for a cab when a teenage boy carrying a red bag and tennis racket wanted to know which way to walk to Novena and asked me which direction to walk towards.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Senior Citizens un-fare
Date: 06 Jun 2006
Time: 1709 hrs
Place: near Queenstown MRT
I'm sitting at the busstop near the MRT, looking away at the road, when from behind me approached a nice 50 something year old lady in bright orange top, curly hair, black trousers with a foldable umbrella and red plastic bag. She was checking the senior citizen's fare chart on display at the busstop. She pointed to the part where it says that the senior citizen's concession fares are from 9am to the close of operations and asked why she was charged the full fare for the ride she just got off from. It turns out that she was taking bus number 970, which is an SMRT bus, with different times for the senior rates, and there was no senior concession from 4.30pm to 7pm. Satisfied with the explanation, she left.
Time: 1709 hrs
Place: near Queenstown MRT
I'm sitting at the busstop near the MRT, looking away at the road, when from behind me approached a nice 50 something year old lady in bright orange top, curly hair, black trousers with a foldable umbrella and red plastic bag. She was checking the senior citizen's fare chart on display at the busstop. She pointed to the part where it says that the senior citizen's concession fares are from 9am to the close of operations and asked why she was charged the full fare for the ride she just got off from. It turns out that she was taking bus number 970, which is an SMRT bus, with different times for the senior rates, and there was no senior concession from 4.30pm to 7pm. Satisfied with the explanation, she left.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Dye-dye must get there
Date: 30 May 2006
Time: 0921 hrs
Place: City Hall MRT
(sorf) At City Hall MRT plugged into my iPod, when a middle aged lady in jeans and a purple t-shirt, with a fading dye job showing all her grey roots, came up from behind me and asked me how to get to Bugis MRT.
Time: 0921 hrs
Place: City Hall MRT
(sorf) At City Hall MRT plugged into my iPod, when a middle aged lady in jeans and a purple t-shirt, with a fading dye job showing all her grey roots, came up from behind me and asked me how to get to Bugis MRT.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
TCC conflict
Date: 24 May 2006
Time: 1830 hrs
Place: Near the museum
(sorf) I was walking from the National Museum towards the Kopitiam, waiting at the traffic light, and this tall Indian man, about thirty-something, in long sleeved black shirt and black pants, actually came up behind me and politely asked where the nearest TCC was. Apparently he had arranged to meet an SMU person at who told him that the TCC is opposite SMU and near a 7-11. But there are two TCC's, one opposite SMU and not near a 7-11, while another is over at Nafa and near a 7-11. So I gave him both options, the one at Hotel Rendezvous, and the one at Nafa. Conflicting instructions from the SMU person!
Time: 1830 hrs
Place: Near the museum
(sorf) I was walking from the National Museum towards the Kopitiam, waiting at the traffic light, and this tall Indian man, about thirty-something, in long sleeved black shirt and black pants, actually came up behind me and politely asked where the nearest TCC was. Apparently he had arranged to meet an SMU person at who told him that the TCC is opposite SMU and near a 7-11. But there are two TCC's, one opposite SMU and not near a 7-11, while another is over at Nafa and near a 7-11. So I gave him both options, the one at Hotel Rendezvous, and the one at Nafa. Conflicting instructions from the SMU person!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Money changer changing trains
Date: 19 May 2006
Time: 1758 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
Walking over to the north-south line near where they had placed a very annoying "interactive" projection-on-the-floor thing, and wearing headphones, when an Indian man, old skinny guy with sharp features wearing a yellow shirt and dark pants, slightly unkempt, carrying a small bag looks like those used to carry football boots (looks like he could be keeping the day's foreign currencies in it), asked me how to get to Little India station. Actually he just yelled "Little India!" I told him to take the escalator down and take one stop on the train on the left.
Time: 1758 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
Walking over to the north-south line near where they had placed a very annoying "interactive" projection-on-the-floor thing, and wearing headphones, when an Indian man, old skinny guy with sharp features wearing a yellow shirt and dark pants, slightly unkempt, carrying a small bag looks like those used to carry football boots (looks like he could be keeping the day's foreign currencies in it), asked me how to get to Little India station. Actually he just yelled "Little India!" I told him to take the escalator down and take one stop on the train on the left.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
towgay conspiracy
Date: 6 May 2006
Time: 1856 hrs
Place: Bugis Cold Storage
(both) Here we are, doing our grocery shopping, minding our own business, when a short haired, middle aged Chinese woman, wearing a black and white striped top, came up to us and told us not to buy the root-less towgay, because they although they are clean because they are grown in water, there are chemicals added to inhibit the growth of roots, and those chemicals are harmful to the body. We bought it anyway, so dangerously we are, trading health for convenience. The assertive quality of her speech suggested that she possibly was a primary school teacher.
Time: 1856 hrs
Place: Bugis Cold Storage
(both) Here we are, doing our grocery shopping, minding our own business, when a short haired, middle aged Chinese woman, wearing a black and white striped top, came up to us and told us not to buy the root-less towgay, because they although they are clean because they are grown in water, there are chemicals added to inhibit the growth of roots, and those chemicals are harmful to the body. We bought it anyway, so dangerously we are, trading health for convenience. The assertive quality of her speech suggested that she possibly was a primary school teacher.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Where the streets have no name...
Date: 23 Apr 2006
Time: 0023 hrs
Place: Maxwell Road outside Maxwell Market
(both) We were waiting for a taxi, when from behind, without even an "excuse me", 2 chubby gay boys, one wearing white t-shirt and bermudas, another wearing orange t-shirt, carrying a map, asked us where's Tras Street (probably to get to some gay bar there). We were like, huh? Oriented them to the map and set them on their way... think they were from Hong Kong.
Time: 0023 hrs
Place: Maxwell Road outside Maxwell Market
(both) We were waiting for a taxi, when from behind, without even an "excuse me", 2 chubby gay boys, one wearing white t-shirt and bermudas, another wearing orange t-shirt, carrying a map, asked us where's Tras Street (probably to get to some gay bar there). We were like, huh? Oriented them to the map and set them on their way... think they were from Hong Kong.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Stylus
Date: 17 Mar 2006
Time: 2347hrs
Place: Yishun MRT
Near the ATM I was in line about to withdraw money so I pulled out my PDA and was using it when a middle aged man with very short hair wearing a blue t-shirt and slippers asked me if he could borrow my pen. So I told him I had no pen, and he insisted that I had, pointing to my PDA stylus. I had to tell him that you couldn't write with it and I had to repeat myself a few times. Don't think I managed to really convince him in the end but he went to ask someone else for a pen. Wonder what important note he was writing... or maybe it was just 4D inspiration.
Time: 2347hrs
Place: Yishun MRT
Near the ATM I was in line about to withdraw money so I pulled out my PDA and was using it when a middle aged man with very short hair wearing a blue t-shirt and slippers asked me if he could borrow my pen. So I told him I had no pen, and he insisted that I had, pointing to my PDA stylus. I had to tell him that you couldn't write with it and I had to repeat myself a few times. Don't think I managed to really convince him in the end but he went to ask someone else for a pen. Wonder what important note he was writing... or maybe it was just 4D inspiration.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
iPods are no defence
Date: 15 Mar 2006
Time: 1100 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
(sorf) 50something lady in pink top and tailored skirt ran after me to ask for directions on how to get to Boon Keng station, in mandarin. I was plugged into iPod. She had to chase me and touch my elbow before i realised.
Time: 1100 hrs
Place: Dhoby Ghaut MRT
(sorf) 50something lady in pink top and tailored skirt ran after me to ask for directions on how to get to Boon Keng station, in mandarin. I was plugged into iPod. She had to chase me and touch my elbow before i realised.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Mustafa attraction
Date: 12 Mar 2006
Time: 1544hrs
Place: Rangoon Road
(both) Waiting outside the Singapore Pools branch at Rangoon Road for a cab, and a 30ish man, who's got either a Thai or Japanese accent (we can't place it), carrying a backpack in shorts, and running shoes, asked us where "the Mustafa" was. Pointed him at the restaurant with the big green sign and told him it was just next to it. The guy walked over and he must have walked really fast because the next thing we knew we spotted him crossing the road over.
Time: 1544hrs
Place: Rangoon Road
(both) Waiting outside the Singapore Pools branch at Rangoon Road for a cab, and a 30ish man, who's got either a Thai or Japanese accent (we can't place it), carrying a backpack in shorts, and running shoes, asked us where "the Mustafa" was. Pointed him at the restaurant with the big green sign and told him it was just next to it. The guy walked over and he must have walked really fast because the next thing we knew we spotted him crossing the road over.
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